Abstract

The proliferation of memorials, monuments and a preoccupation with anniversaries has stimulated scholarly interest in the role of memory in society. This 'memory turn' was propelled by the (re)discovery of the work of French social theorists such as Maurice Halbwachs on collective memory, and that of Pierre Nora on sites of memory. Anglo-American scholars have belatedly caught on to the trend. Since the 1990s memory studies has flourished in academic institutions in Europe and North America, with courses being offered at many universities.